Brushless eraser cleaning machine



Jan. 26, 1954 c. s. COLEMAN BRUSHLE-SS ERASER CLEANING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 28, 1950 Carl sl Coleman Jan. 26, 1954 Q 5 CQLEMAN 2,666,942

BRUSHLESS ERAS-ER CLEANING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I n ventor Carl 5. Coleman Jan. 26, 1954 c, 5, COLEMAN 2,666,942

BRUSHLESS ERASER CLEANING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning blackboard erasers.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved brushless blackboard eraser cleaning machine which includes a support having amotor thereon, and means connected to the motor for performing the function of withdrawing powdered chalk, dust, etc. from the eraser and which has means connected thereto for rotating a cylinder in which the erasers are disposed, the dust and chalk extraction means being arranged axialhr of the cylinder, while air introducing pockets are arranged on the periphery of the cylinder to facilitate the withdrawing of air from the cylinder.

Ancillary objects and features of importance such as the saving of time and wear of the erasers will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View of the device taken on line l--l of Figure 2 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 2 is a top view of the device in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view of the device in Figure 2; and

Figure i is a transverse sectional view taken on line -i of Figure 1 and in the direction of the arrows.

In carrying out this invention, there is provided a suitable stand or support, generally -in dicated at iii, which is made of structural framing members, as angle iron. The support is so a ranged as to include a motor platform l2 with egs. There is a .rn-otor M disposed on a motor mount it, said mount being carried by the platform HE. A pulley i5 is attached to the motor shaft 1 B and has a belt 2E entrained therearound, this belt also being entrained around a pulley 22 which is fixed to the shaft 24. This shaft is mounted in bearings 25 and 25 which are disposed on a part 28 of the structural framing Hi and is employed to transmit movement to the pulley 3B. This pulley is fixed to the shaft 24 and has a belt 32 entrained therearound, said belt also extending around a pulley 34 which is fixed to one end 35 of the cylinder, generally indicated at 38. Accordingly, upon operation of the motor it, as controlled by a conventional switch, the cylinder 33 will be caused to rotate.

In order to mount the cylinder having the end wall 36 and an opposite end wall to, there is a trunnion 42 fixed, for example, by the mounting plate 44, to the end wall 46 and there is a hollow bearing 45 fixed by means of the mounting plate 48 to the wall '36. The trunnion 152 is disposed in a bearing that the upper part of a vertical portion '52 of the 'framing it, while the hollow shaft or bearing 46 is mounted in the conventional anti-friction bearing 5 which is dipsosed on another portion 58 of the structural framing support Ill.

An air impeller serving as a suction motor or blower 58 is disposed on the platform l2 and has an exhaust hcse -62 connected to the outlet 66' thereof. This outlet is formed in the case or fan housing 85 which is disposed around the impeller blade assembly 68. 'This blade assembly is connected to the shaft 18 by any suitable means, as by pinning or set screwing.

A longitudinal tube In 'is mounted axially in the cylinder 38 and is connected by means of the fiared throat '1 .l to the fan housing as inlet. This tube is provided with longitudinal slots '12 for free air flow and each slot has a longitudinal 'lip 74' thereadjacent to act in the capacity of an air scoop. Accordingly, air drawn by the air impeller 6D is pulled through the outer open end 16 of the tube 10 and also through the slot l2 thereof.

A webbing, as a screen is fixed in the cylinder 38 to prevent erasers from contacting the tube it but yet allow airflow therethrough. This webbing is held in place by a plurality of stay rods 13 which are secured to the ends of the cylinder.

The side wall or walls of the cylinder are made of sheet material, as at 8(- (see Figure 4) and are provided with a number of longitudinal baffles which extend from end to end in the cylinder 33. Any practical number of such bafiles may be employed and the purpose of the bafiies is to elevate the erasers and drop them on the stay rods is and thereby bounce the dust from the erasers. Longitudinal air slots 88 are arranged in the side wall 84 of the cylinder and there is an inwardly directed lip 93 adjacent each slot and an outwardly directed lip 92 on the other side thereof in order to serve as small air impellers for introduction of air into the cylinder for free circulation through the erasers in order to free them from powdered chalk, dust and other foreign matter.

There is a closure plate 96 arranged under the ribs 9a and 99 formed longitudinally at spaced longitudinal edges of the side wall 34 of the cylinder. A suitable latch N32 is operatively connected with the closure plate 96 and the side wall id of the device so that the closure plate is re- 3 leasably held in place by the cylinder. There is a trough 104 hinged at its inner end, as at 503, to a part of the structural makeup of the frame !0 and the trough serves the purpose of collecting and discharging the clean erasers.

In order to adjust the belts 32 and 20, the bearings 25 and 25 may be slid so as to move the shaft 24 laterally. These bearings are held on pillow blocks I08 and l I 0 and the pillow blocks are bolted, as at H2, to the element 28 of the structural framing in slots whereby the pillow blocks may he slid.

In operation, the closure panel or plate 96 is opened and the cylinder filled with erasers or a suificient quantity of erasers placed therein. Then the closure panel 96 is replaced and the motor rendered operative. This causes suction in the cylinder. It also causes the cylinder to revolve. As it revolves, air is drawn through the slots 88 as aided by the lips 90 and 92, and also drawn through the slots '12. By this action, air is constantly drawn through the entire cylinder, thereby cleaning the erasers which are constantly agitated by striking the baffles 86 and the webbing 30.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An eraser cleaning machine comprising a frame having a motor mounted thereon, a suction pump on said frame driven by the motor, a suction tube connected to the air inlet of said suction pump and having longitudinal slots therein, a cylindrical drum rotatably mounted on said frame, said suction tube extending axially through one end of said drum and terminating adjacent the other end thereof, said drum having air vents in the side wall thereof for admitting air to the drum, a plurality of spaced, circumferentially arranged stay rods extending axially within said drum and secured at their ends to the end of said drum, said stay rods being concentrically spaced around said suction tube, and a protective screen for said tube surrounding said stay rods, bafiie plates extending radially inwardly from the side wall of said drum for elevating erasers disposed within the drum and dropping the same on the screen for impact against the stay rods.

2. An eraser cleaning machine comprising a frame having a motor mounted thereon, a suction pump on said frame driven by the motor, a suction tube connected to the air inlet of said suction pump and having longitudinal slots therein, a cylindrical drum rotatably mounted on said frame, said suction tube extending axially through one end of said drum and terminating adjacent the other end thereof, said drum having air vents in the side wall thereof for admitting air to the drum, a plurality of spaced, circumferentially arranged stay rods extending axially within said drum and secured at their ends to the ends of said drum, said stay rods being concentrically spaced around said suction tube, and a protective screen for said tube surrounding said stay rods, bafile plates extending radially inwardly from the side wall of said drum for elevating erasers disposed within the drum and dropping the same on the screen for impact against the stay rods, and air scoops formed on the side wall of said drum adjacent said air vents for scooping air into the drum as the same is rotated.

3. An eraser cleaning machine comprising a frame having a motor mounted thereon, a suction pump on said frame driven by the motor, a suction tube connected to the air inlet of said suction pump and having longitudinal slots therein, a cylindrical drum rotatably mounted on said frame, said suction tube extending axially through one end of said drum and terminating adjacent the other end thereof, said drum having air vents in the side wall thereof for admitting air to the drum, a plurality of spaced, circumferentially arranged stay rods extending axially within said drum and secured at their ends to the ends of said drum, said stay rods being concentrically spaced around said suction tube, and a protective screen for said tube surrounding said stay rods, baffle plates extending radially inwardly from the side wall of said drum for elevating erasers disposed within the drum and dropping the same on the screen for impact against the stay rods, said elongated slots in said suction tube extending substantially the entire length of said drum.

4. An eraser cleaning machine comprising a frame, a drum rotatably mounted on said frame, a suction pump carried by said frame, a suction tube connected to the air inlet of said pump and extending axially through one end of said drum and terminating adjacent the other end of said drum, the portion of said tube disposed within said drum having elongated slots therein extending substantially the length of the portion, a plurality of stay rods mounted within said drum arranged in concentrically surrounding relation to said tube and a protective screen for said tube surrounding said stay rods, baflle means on the inner surface of the side wall of said drum for elevating erasers as the drum is rotated, said drum side wall further having air vents therein for drawing air into the drum and through the suction tube and driving means for said drum.

CARL S. COLEMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 889,560 Thull June 2, 1908 1,800,247 Buckbee Apr. 14, 1931 2,152,140 Gilbert Mar. 28, 1939 

